Finding His Wolf

A Hidden Valley Pack Short

Skye R. Richmond

Contents

1. Sparrow

2. Sparrow

3. Caden

4. Sparrow

5. Caden

6. Sparrow

7. Caden

Also by Skye

Writing As Rheland Richmond

Copyright © 2018/2019 Skye R. Richmond & Rheland Richmond

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and events are a product of the author’s imagination. Any similarities to actual persons, living or dead, is pure coincidence. As are any similarities to any businesses, events or locations.

All products and brand names mentioned are registered trademarks of their respective holder and or company. I do not own the rights to these, nor do I claim to.”

Cover Art: Cosmic Letterz

Edited by Ann Attwood Editing and Proofreading Service

Proofreading by Alphabitz Editing

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1

Sparrow

He was fucking free. He couldn’t believe it. Frank had actually gone and gotten himself killed. Thank fuck. Sparrow wasn’t sure what he would have done. He was only a few days from running away, but this was the best fucking outcome. One he could have never hoped for, but, well, he guessed someone somewhere was looking out for him. Ding-dong, the douche was dead. Frank was the worst thing that could have happened to him, but Sparrow had been a naïve as fuck kid, fresh out of foster care, and he’d been taken by the first ass-wipe to show him a little love.

But now he knew better. It’s just going to be me and the little one from now on, Sparrow thought, rubbing his small bump. He loved his little pumpkin so much. He didn’t care if his other father had been a douchenozzle. His baby was going to grow up with more love than he’d know what to do with. There was no fucking way he would let his kid have the childhood he’d had.

The only good thing Frank had ever done for him was die. He knew that sounded harsh and cruel, but it was the truth. The bastard had taken out a life insurance policy on himself, which meant Sparrow could leave this area and start a new life somewhere in the country with his baby.

He knew the only reason Frank had taken out a life insurance policy on himself was that he also wanted to take one out on Sparrow. Sparrow probably would have ended up dead and the bastard would have cashed in his insurance policy with some bogus story, when in actual fact Frank would have been the reason for Sparrow’s death. But Sparrow was going to have the last laugh. Yes, he was. Who would have thought it, a drunk getting killed by another drunk? That was poetic fucking justice.

It was probably morbid as fuck, celebrating the death of another human being, but after being brutalized both physically and mentally by that dickwad, he had every reason to fucking celebrate. He’d been with Frank for three miserable years, since he turned eighteen.

All the alpha had seen in him was a hole to fuck, a house cleaner, and a fucking cook. Sparrow had always loved cooking, but Frank had sucked the joy out of that too. All Sparrow had ever hoped for was an alpha of his own—someone he could take care of, someone who would take care of him. Instead, he’d ended up becoming a slave to an alpha who didn’t deserve to be called one. Sparrow knew he should be cynical, but he wasn’t. He still hoped and prayed he would find the alpha meant for him. But what alpha would want him now with another man’s child in his belly?

Sparrow closed his eyes tightly to hold back the tears—he couldn’t think like that. All the books he’d snuck into the house showed the broken omega finding his alpha regardless of the circumstances. So he would have faith. Even though it had never gotten him anywhere, he refused to become bitter. Bitterness had twisted Frank into the drunk he was and made him think everyone was out to get him. Made him think he’d lost his job to the “immigrants,” as he called them. When in truth, it was because he was a lazy fucker who thought he was worth more than he was willing to work for.

Sparrow took in the scenery passing by on the Greyhound bus he’d boarded out of Texas. They’d gotten to the part where it was all trees on both sides. He was moving one state over to New Mexico, and he couldn’t wait to get there. Texas had no good memories, so saying goodbye had been easy even though he’d been born there. He had no family to speak of since he was a firehouse baby, so ditching all the bad memories in the Lone Star State was one of the easiest things he’d ever done.

Sparrow knew it wasn’t going to become all rainbows and unicorns just because he was moving to a new state, but the job he had gotten came with accommodations. He was going to be living in a cabin on a huge property. He’d only had one friend, Bradley, who he’d met when he still had a job working as a busboy at the diner where he’d met Frank. Bradley had stuck around even though Frank had tried to chase him off.

Bradley was from the small town Sparrow was moving to and had recommended Sparrow for the job. He’d said his hometown was as dry as chewing cat litter and washing it down with sawdust sauce. But that was exactly what Sparrow needed right now.

Sparrow knew he was lucky to find a job and a house. Not that he was going to run out of money anytime soon, but he still felt better knowing he had a job and a roof over his head and didn’t have to dip into the insurance money until it was time to buy things for the baby. As he knew from his research, raising a child was bloody expensive, so he had to be smart and it didn’t get smarter than free housing.

Okay, so he wasn’t stupid. He wouldn't take just any free housing. The fact that Bradley said he would be safe there was the reason he felt no fear about moving to a new place sight unseen. His friend thought that even though he wasn’t a fan of his hometown, Sparrow would be. Bradley had always teased him saying he was a country mouse at heart. A new home, a new job, a peaceful place to have his baby—what more could a single omega about to become a single father ask for?

The job was the easy part. He could cook for fifty people with his hands tied behind his back, so this job was going to be a cakewalk. The hard part would be building a life for himself.

He was thanking the gods there weren’t a lot of cooks wanting to move to Nowheresville, New Mexico. He’d looked into the area and found it had little to no crime and a wonderful school his child could go to when the time came.

The cabin was surrounded by lush trees, and it had the cutest little swing in the front. He could imagine his baby playing out in the front yard while he watched from that swing.

Granted, it was going to be a journey getting them to school, but he would deal with that when the time came. Sparrow didn’t mind living in what was essentially the boonies. It was a chance at a new beginning for him, and something told him it was where he was meant to be heading.

Since he’d been recommended by a friend, the owner had only asked a few questions before hiring him. All the man on the other end of the phone had wanted to know was if Sparrow could cook and if he could cook for working men in large quantities.

Sparrow figured most people would think it was probably reckless of him to take the job and house and move everything to another state, but something kept nagging at him that this was where he was meant to go. When Bradley had suggested the job, a voice inside him had screamed at him to take it. Say yes! It almost felt like he was being pulled in this direction. But it was probably just his excitement at starting afresh somewhere new.

He was so lost in thought, he didn’t hear the question he was asked by the woman sitting next to him on the bus until she gave him a little nudge to prompt him.

“You visiting family in New Mexico?” the older woman asked. She looked to be in her late sixties or so.

Sparrow met the dark eyes of the older woman and saw kindness there, so he answered honestly. “Moving there for a new job.”

She smiled at him. “Have you ever been?”

Sparrow shook his head. “No, ma’am. Texas-born, first time out of the state.” Hopefully, he would never have to go back, he prayed to the universe.

“Oh, son, pregnant and moving,” she said, placing her hand on his.

“I’ll be fine,” Sparrow said.

“You definitely will be, son,” she said grinning. “Good things are about to happen for you, my dear. I know you’ve been through so much in your young life. But it’s just beginning. Be open to the unbelievable, son. Don’t be scared. Your life is just about to begin,” she finished, patting him on his hand.

“Uhhh. Well, okay,” Sparrow said, slipping his hand out from under the crazy lady’s. Clearly, this was a case of crazy, party of one.

It was time to pretend to be asleep. He didn’t need any more crazy in his life. Hopefully, the person who was supposed to pick him up would be waiting for him at the bus terminal, he thought before drifting off to sleep.

2

Sparrow

Well, he was finally here, Sparrow thought, taking a look around the bus station he had just gotten off at. It was small compared to the one where he’d changed buses earlier in the day.

He’d had to change buses in Albuquerque before ending up in Hidden Valley, New Mexico. Thankfully, he’d managed to ditch Madam Crazy Pants back at the bigger bus terminal. The bus that went through Hidden Valley wasn’t as full as the one to Albuquerque, so Sparrow had a moment to question his sanity more than he’d liked. But, after stressing himself out, he’d decided to just hope that finally the universe was looking out for him.

He didn’t sleep on this bus ride because he didn’t want to miss his stop. Besides, the bus from Houston to Albuquerque had taken almost a full day and he’d managed to get some sleep there. Hidden Valley was only about five hours outside Albuquerque, and, so far, it looked exactly like what he thought a small town would.

After he stepped off the bus and it drove away, there was only one pickup truck in the parking lot. He assumed it was the person he’d texted when his phone had told him he was an hour away from his destination.

The man who was waiting for him was average height, but broad in the shoulders. Sparrow's flight response was kicking in, being alone in a parking lot with the unknown man, but he swallowed his fear and picked up his one suitcase, making his way towards the man—the stranger—who walked up and met him halfway. Up close, Sparrow could see that he had a kind face that immediately put him at ease. His instincts were proven correct when the man greeted him with a wide smile, his tan face creasing.

“I’m Micah. I’m a bet… I mean, I’m one of the people that live at the house you will be working at. Is that all you have?” he asked, pointing at the suitcase in Sparrow’s hand.

“Yeah,” Sparrow replied, looking down at his one suitcase. He understood the man's surprise. How could his whole life fit into one piece of luggage? But at least it was better than the garbage bag that he’d left the foster system with, so he wasn’t complaining. “I’ll need to get some new stuff,” Sparrow added as he pulled his suitcase behind him when they started walking towards the car.

“Well, we don’t have much in the way of shopping around here. But further up that way,” Micah pointed to the way the bus had gone, “is a bigger town where you can buy some clothes and everything else you need. But we just order everything on the internet nowadays.”

Sparrow nodded. Of course they did. If you lived out this way you would definitely be a fan of internet shopping instead of constantly having to go to bigger towns for everything you needed.

Sparrow stopped at the newish looking truck; it was big, and he was about to lift his suitcase into the back when Micah stopped him. “Someone in your condition should not be lifting anything that heavy,” Micah said, taking the suitcase out of his hands and telling him to get in the truck.

Micah got into the driver's side after putting Sparrow’s suitcase in the back. Before he even started the engine, Micah looked to see if Sparrow was all set, checking he had his seatbelt on and everything.

Sparrow blurted, “It wasn’t that heavy, I could have lifted it myself.” He didn’t want the guy to think he was lazy or something. That wasn’t the best first impression to give now, was it?

Micah looked at him and smiled. “I’m sure it wasn’t, but an omega in your condition shouldn’t be lifting anything heavier than…” Micah paused like he was searching his mind for something light enough, but when he couldn’t come up with anything, he simply said, “Pregnant omegas are a treasure. It was my pleasure helping you.”

Sparrow didn’t know what to say to that. Frank hadn’t treated him any differently when Sparrow had told him he was pregnant. Sure, he’d stopped throwing him around, but he’d still expected the house to get cleaned and his food to be on the table on time. Sparrow wasn’t used to this sort of… kindness.

“Oh, uhh… thank you, I guess,” Sparrow said.

The man nodded and started the car. “The ranch is about a fifty-minute drive, so feel free to rest up while we make our way.”

Sparrow nodded, but knew he couldn’t just fall asleep. Sure, Micah was being nice, but he was still a stranger. Sparrow wasn’t scared per se, but he was a little anxious being in the car with someone he had just met less than ten minutes ago, kind eyes or not.

Almost like he could read Sparrow’s mind, Micah said, “So you’re a friend of Bradley’s?”

Sparrow turned from staring out the window and smiled on hearing his friend’s name. “You know Bradley?”

“He’s my nephew,” Micah replied, smiling. “My older brother’s son. His father, my brother, passed away a long time ago,” Micah said, and Sparrow didn’t miss the flash of sadness that came over his features.

“I’m sorry,” Sparrow said.

“Oh, thank you, but it was a long time ago,” Micah replied.

“Yes, I’m a friend of Bradley’s. We met one night when he came into the diner I worked at. He was kind to me and he kept coming back, over and over again, and I guess we became friends.”

Micah grinned. “He was always friendly that way. Has good instincts, that boy,” Micah said, and Sparrow could hear the pride in his tone.

“He’s a good friend. Helped me through some tough spots, even though he thought I was doing the wrong thing.” Bradley had hated Frank. Every time Sparrow had said the man's name or showed up at Bradley’s house, he would growl and curse Frank. He’d even begged Sparrow to let him deal with Frank, but Sparrow had refused. Bradley was an omega and Frank was an alpha who had almost thirty pounds and three feet in height on him. Sparrow hadn’t wanted his friend getting hurt because of him.

“He’s a good boy,” Micah said, that same pride in his tone.

Sparrow wondered what it would feel like to have someone, a fatherly figure, speak that way about him. He sighed and looked out the window at the town they were passing through.

The drive from the bus station to the compound was quiet after that, and like Micah had said, it didn’t take more than fifty-minutes. Micah pointed out a few places on their way, and Sparrow was surprised to see that the town wasn’t as isolated as he’d expected. There was a store that looked like it sold clothes, a bookstore, a coffee shop, even a cinema—though it looked like it was six months behind on the movies they were showing.

“Ah, we’re here,” Micah said as they pulled into a dirt lane leading up to what he assumed was the compound. On both sides of the driveway there were lush trees. For a city boy who had never been to the country, Sparrow looked at everything with a hint of wonder.

Whitewashed fences lined the road and he could see several men in the distance, although he couldn’t figure out what they were doing. They kept driving, the driveway longer than he thought, until they suddenly came into a wider clearing and a huge house came into view. That was the only way to describe the house. It looked like something out of a movie.

He had never seen anything so majestic in his life. It looked like it had been there for years and had somehow become a part of the scenery. It was the biggest wooden structure he had ever seen. Sparrow thought cabins were small and by the lake, but this one looked friggin’ supersized. He would bet his bank account that it could house at least fifty people.

“Wow, it’s beautiful,” Sparrow said in awe.

Micah looked at him, then at the house. “I guess it is. I’ve lived here so long I probably take it for granted. Alrighty, let’s get you in so you can meet the alp… I mean Hunter.”

“He’s the one who owns the house?” Sparrow asked as he opened the door to the truck, still trying to take in the house and everything around it. The land was beautiful. He had never seen so much green in his life, and the air was like nothing he’d ever breathed before. For some reason, he felt like howling at the perfection of everything. There was also this tingling sensation at the base of his spine he couldn’t quite understand, but now wasn’t the time to figure it out.

He must have been standing there deep in thought because Micah appeared by his side with his suitcase.

“Come on, let’s go in so you can meet everyone,” Micah said.

3

Caden

Caden finally felt refreshed; he’d needed that run. For some reason, he’d been having the most erotic dreams, and no matter how much he came, he still felt aroused. He couldn’t figure out why.

At least the new cook would be here by now, which meant he wouldn’t have to suffer through one of the guys trying to cook. Caden was making his way towards their house when he scented the most intoxicating thing he had ever smelled in his life. It was on the breeze as he approached Micah’s truck, and he couldn’t help but take a deep breath, taking it into his lungs.

What on earth was that? He had never smelled anything like it in his almost seventy years on this earth. In comparison to most shifters in the pack, Caden was pretty young, but he would remember if he’d ever smelled what was, in the simplest terms, his version of ambrosia. Caden followed the smell inside the house the pack shared, his wolf clawing to get out. He kept going until he was outside the kitchen where the scent seemed to be concentrated. Which meant only one thing—the new cook. Could it be? What were the odds?

Since he’d been old enough to know what a mate was, Caden had wanted one. His parents had been fated mates, and to hear them tell it, it was a feeling you couldn’t explain unless you experienced it. It was joy and peace. It was happiness and safety and pure perfection when you found the person the gods had made just for you.

But it also meant that if anything happened to your mate, it could be the end for you. Like it had been for his parents. Caden’s mother had lost the will to live after his father was shot and killed by hunters. Even though he’d been just barely out of his teens and still needed her, losing her fated mate had killed his mom.

Caden took a deep breath and prepared himself for the moment he knew could completely change his life. He could hear his brother talking to someone in the kitchen, but couldn’t hear a reply. He wanted so badly to hear the sound of his mate’s voice.

His wolf was being an impatient bastard, pushing him to go inside the kitchen and meet the man the gods had sent to him because that was the only explanation. What were the odds that the cook they hired, because their last one had left to find his mate, happened to be the mate Caden had been praying for?

Caden was nervous. It was like walking into that kitchen would be the beginning of the rest of his life. He tried to recall what he knew about their new chef but couldn’t really remember what his brother had told him. No matter. He would learn everything about his mate himself.

He finally took one more cleansing breath before stepping into the kitchen. His eyes didn’t even acknowledge his brother. Once he entered the kitchen, his gaze landed on the most perfect man he had ever seen.

He was short, maybe 5’5 or so. At 6’4, Caden towered over him. His face had an ethereal look to it. His hair was the deepest brown Caden had ever seen, so dark it was almost black, and his eyes were a smoky gray. He couldn’t help taking all that in at first glance. And fuck, this close he could pick up what the scent was. It was like caramel and cinnamon, and he just wanted to lick the small man and see if he tasted as sweet.

His thoughts were interrupted by his brother. “Well, well. This is an unexpected development,” Hunter, his older brother and Alpha of the Hidden Valley pack, said.

Even with his brother speaking to him, Caden’s gaze never left his mate’s. All he could do was stare like some dumbstruck idiot.

“Caden,” Hunter said to get his brother’s attention.

“What?” Caden snapped at Hunter for not making himself scarce since he clearly knew what was happening.

His brother snorted. “I was trying to introduce you to our new cook, Sparrow.”

“Sparrow,” he repeated, tasting his mate's name on his tongue. “Little bird.”

The smaller man, his mate, raised his eyebrow. Caden realized he’d said that out loud and his cheeks colored. “What I meant was the sparrow is a little bird.”

Hunter snorted again. “Nice save, little brother.”

Caden couldn’t even bring himself to care that he was making a fool of himself. His mate would probably think he was some kind of nincompoop.

“Sparrow, this is my younger brother, Caden. I have a feeling you’ll be getting to know him very well,” Hunter said, his voice filled with mirth.

“Nice to meet you, Caden,” Sparrow replied.

Ahhh, Caden thought as his mate’s voice washed over him. He knew he would never forget hearing it for the first time. This moment was forever going to be etched in his mind as one of the highlights of his life. Caden couldn’t help it. Like a moth to a flame, he made his way from where he was standing to where his mate stood. If his brother hadn’t taken a step back, he had a feeling he would have shoved him out of the way.

It wasn’t until he was standing in front of his mate that he noticed he was pregnant. His wolf howled at the thought of another alpha touching his mate, but the human in him was excited at the thought of becoming a father.

It wasn’t like Caden was some sort of blushing virgin himself. He’d had his fun with humans, alphas, betas, but never omegas. He’d always known he wanted to wait until he was with his fated mate to experience that.

His older brother, who was an alpha, too, and had known him half his life, must have sensed something because he put his hand on Caden’s shoulder and squeezed for a moment.

“I’m fine,” Caden said, low enough that human ears wouldn’t pick it up even standing right in front of him, but he knew his brother would.

“Why don’t we let Sparrow here find his way around the kitchen while we have a chat, brother,” Hunter said, with his hand still on Caden’s shoulder.

Caden was about to decline, wanting to spend more time in his mate’s presence, but his brother, knowing him the way he did, let his alpha out. Caden had no choice but to submit and follow.

He didn’t miss the fact that even with his brother in the room with him, the omega’s—his omega’s—eyes were on him. Caden didn’t want to turn around and leave; he wanted to keep Sparrow in his line of sight. But he knew that his brother wouldn’t leave him alone until he had said his piece.

They made it out of the kitchen and Hunter pulled him into his office. Once they were inside, Caden let loose. “Hey, what was that about? You know he’s my mate, right?”

Hunter raised his eyebrows. “Of course I do. You’re throwing off so many territorial pheromones, I’m sure everyone who gets within a foot of him knows he’s your mate now.”

“So why did you pull me away?” Caden grunted.

“Because, brother, if you were thinking with your brain and not your cock…” Hunter started.

Caden growled at his mate being reduced to just some guy he wanted to fuck.

“Calm down, Caden. I just meant your mating instincts are kicking in and you’re not thinking straight,” Hunter added in a soothing tone.

Caden took a deep breath, trying to dispel the lust fog in his brain. “Okay, maybe you have a point,” he admitted.

“Of course I do,” Hunter said, in that annoying know-it-all big brother voice.

“Out with it already. Tell me why I’m here with your ugly mug when I could be with my mate?” Caden growled, with no real heat.

“Well, I wanted to talk to you about your mate, actually,” Hunter said.

“Okay… What about my mate?” Caden asked.

“Can you remember anything I told you about him after Bradley called telling us he’d found us a chef?”

Caden tried to think back, but he was drawing a blank. He just remembered thinking Mason wouldn’t have to cook anymore. The man was a menace in the kitchen, but out of all of them, he was the best cook, which wasn’t saying much.

“Not really,” He admitted.

His brother walked over to his side of the table and took a seat, and Caden followed suit. “Bradley called and said he had a friend who needed a safe place to heal and have his baby. Apparently, Sparrow was with an alpha who thought being an alpha meant throwing his weight around, and sometimes that meant using his fists.”

Caden growled at the thought of some alpha laying his hands on his mate in violence. “I’ll kill him. Wherever he is, I’ll kill him.”

“Calm down, Kujo. No killing necessary,” Hunter said.

“Tell me you wouldn’t kill someone who made your mate suffer,” Caden growled, his wolf still close to the surface.

Caden saw a flash of anger, then sadness and wistfulness flash over his brother's features. “I definitely would and if you were listening, you’d have heard I said ‘no killing necessary,’ not, ‘no killing allowed.’”

Caden raised his eyebrows in question at his brother's words. “Spit it out already,” he said impatiently.

“My, my. Someone’s in a hurry… got somewhere to be, little brother?” Hunter teased.

“You’re an asshole,” Caden replied, smiling.

“Yeah, well! It’s my job to bust your balls. But back to your mate. What I meant was, the alpha in question went and got himself killed. So chill, brother, you won’t have to go hunting for the asshole who hurt your mate.”

“Well, good riddance,” Caden sniffed in derision.

“Right. My point is, you can’t start humping his leg like a dog with no control. You need to figure out if he’s even ready for another alpha before you mention mating. And might I add, I’m not sure if he even knows about us.”

Caden’s eyebrows shot up so high, they probably got lost in his hair. “Hold on, are you telling me we have a human here who doesn’t know about shifters?”

Hunter nodded. “I’m pretty sure I smell wolf on him, but it’s dormant, like someone locked it away. But yeah, he has no idea.”

“Okay, forget that he’s my mate for a second. How on Earth is that supposed to work? We don’t exactly hide when we shift. And let’s not forget the fact that our family acquired all this land over the years so we didn’t have to hide when we shifted.”

“I know, I know, Caden. But Bradley called, and you know I can’t say no to our little cousin. Plus, he was pretty sure that Sparrow was a wolf, but every time he hinted at it, he said the poor guy had no idea what he was talking about.”

“How’s Bradley doing? I should send him something for getting my mate to come down here,” Caden said, a stupid grin on his face.

“Dumbass, focus,” Hunter said, grinning at him like he was enjoying the thought of Caden having said conversation with his mate. “How are you going to tell your mate that you can turn into a four-legged creature with teeth and claws? Are you just going to blurt out, ‘oh, by the way, I can change into a wolf, and it’s not like in the movies that it’s only during the full moon; I can become a wolf whenever I want?’”

Caden was about to reply when he heard a sound that was close to a cat drowning coming from the doorway. He turned around and spotted his mate in the doorway with his mouth wide open.

“I was… I mean… wolf?” Sparrow squeaked.

Oh shit. Well, this wasn’t how they wanted him to find out, Caden thought before jumping out of his seat and making his way towards his mate.

4

Sparrow

Oh, my days! The kitchen was like something out of his wildest dreams, Sparrow thought to himself, looking around in awe. It was huge and beautiful, possibly the nicest place he’d ever stood in.

The floors were medium-colored wood planks, and the grayish granite countertops and white oak cabinets were stunning. The sink was double-sided and deep, with silver fixtures. He took in the industrial-size fridge and stove, and already he was imagining the amazing meals he could cook up.

He hoped they wouldn’t mind if he added some little personal touches to make the kitchen more his space because, right now, it felt more like a restaurant kitchen than his soon-to-be domain. He could imagine fresh potted herbs along the window sill and maybe a little vegetable patch in the space he could see outside the kitchen window. Sparrow had always imagined himself with a vegetable patch.

All in all, it was like the kitchen out of his wet dreams. Some people dreamed about sex, he dreamed about this. Although the alpha who had walked in earlier—Caden, he’d said his name was—had him thinking about sex. In vivid detail. But he wasn’t going to go down that road. Because he hadn’t missed how the other man's features tightened briefly when he’d realized Sparrow was pregnant.

He wasn’t going to think about how his heart constricted at that look. Nope. There was no place in his life for such thoughts. He refused to look closely at how his heart jumped the moment he set eyes on the blond Adonis. The man was a sculptor’s wet dream. Caden had broad shoulders and chiseled abs Sparrow could make out through his tight-fitting white t-shirt. He had a trim waist Sparrow could picture his legs wrapped around while the alpha pounded into his slick and dripping hole, but that was probably just his hormones running wild.

Sparrow looked around the kitchen, trying to decide what to make for dinner his first night. He decided to take stock of what was available. He opened the cupboards, fridge, and freezer and found them fully stocked. Sparrow wasn’t sure he’d ever seen this much food outside of a grocery store.

Checking the clock, he removed some meat for dinner this evening since he figured he was expected to prepare it, but he had no idea how many people he was cooking for. So, he made his way towards the voices he could hear coming from a room at the other end of the hallway.

The door wasn’t completely shut, and just when he was about to knock and make his presence known, he heard Hunter say, “How are you going to tell your mate that you can turn into a four-legged creature with teeth and claws? Are you just going to blurt out, ‘oh, by the way, I can change into a wolf, and it’s not like in the movies that it’s only during the full moon; I can become a wolf whenever I want?’”

His first thought was maybe he was dreaming, but he knew that wasn’t the case. He shook his head hoping to clear the hallucination, but that didn’t seem to help. He could still see Caden and Hunter sitting in front of him, which meant the conversation he’d overheard had really happened.

Sparrow thought maybe they had some sort of mental issues and it made him worry for his safety, but then he knew Bradley wouldn’t do that to him. He hadn’t had anyone truly care about him in his life, so when someone did, he could tell, especially after bouncing from foster home to foster home and never being treated as more than a paycheck.

He was about to pretend he hadn’t heard, but his squeak gave him away, and when he opened his mouth, the word “wolf” came out.

He was frozen to the spot, his brain trying to process the information he’d just been given. Before Sparrow knew it, he had Hottie McHottiekins standing in front of him, placing his hand on Sparrow’s shoulder like he was trying to center him.

“I can explain,” Caden said, but for some reason, it felt like his voice was coming from far away, the blood rushing through Sparrow’s ears made it hard for him to hear properly. Could blood even rush to my ears? he thought frantically. Or was it the pounding in his heart he was really hearing?

The next thing he knew, he was sitting on what could only be another person and he was being held like he was a baby. Sparrow heard a soothing voice telling him “Deep breaths. Deep breaths,” and he followed the instructions.

A few minutes later he was back to normal and found himself taking a deep breath, breathing in the most intoxicating scent of his life. He had never smelled anything like it. It was like vanilla and pine mixed together. Who knew the two scents combined would make his cock get hard and his ass start to get slick?

The person holding him—he knew now it was Caden—growled and Sparrow pulled away from his chest to get a look at his face. What he saw should have scared him. Caden’s eyes looked like they were gold, but that wasn’t possible. His eyes were a stunning green color, like the purest emerald you could imagine. But they had changed.

“Your eyes,” Sparrow said, raising his hand almost to touch Caden’s face, but he pulled back before he could.

Right before him, Caden’s eyes changed back to their natural color. If Sparrow had blinked, even for a second, he would have missed it.

“How is that possible?” Sparrow whispered to himself, but Caden answered the question.

“Do you really want to know?” Caden asked. “And can you promise to hear me out before…” Caden shrugged. “Running away, or whatever it is you’re thinking of doing.”

“I won’t run,” Sparrow said, without thinking. He paused for a second, trying to decide why on Earth he’d made that promise. The truth was, from the moment he’d found himself in Caden’s arms, he had felt… safe.

Which sounded crazy. Sparrow had just heard the man say he could change into a wild animal. He should be running as fast as his legs could carry him, not feeling like he wanted to burrow further into the man’s broad chest.

“I promise. I’ll listen, and I’m not going anywhere,” Sparrow heard himself say, even though all he’d meant to say was he would listen.

He felt Caden’s body unclench as the tension drained out of him like water through a sieve. It was almost as if Sparrow saying he would stay had done that to him. Which was crazy, wasn’t it?

“My family, and others like us, are descended from the god, Fenrir. You see, Fenrir fell in love with a mortal, and when they had their children, the god blessed them with the power to shift between man and wolf. Some families, like ours, are closer descendants, which makes us more powerful than other wolf shifters. My brother, Hunter, is the alpha of our pack. Oh, and we don’t change on the full moon; we can change at any time. So, yeah, that’s the shortest version,” Caden said, while looking at Sparrow as though he was waiting for the freak-out to come.

“Okay,” Sparrow said.

“Okay?” Caden repeated.

“Well, yeah, what did you expect me to say?” Sparrow asked.

“I don’t know, but something more than ‘okay.’ It’s not like you hear every day that men can turn into wolves,” Caden replied.

“True, but for some reason, I’m not scared, and I trust you,” Sparrow replied. “If you say it’s true, I’m taking your word for it.”

Sparrow wasn’t sure why he was so fine with what he was hearing. It probably had to do with the fact that sitting on Caden’s lap was making him fucking horny. Stupid pregnancy hormones.

Caden looked at him quizzically, almost like he thought Sparrow was a few bottles short of a six pack, before adding, “If you think I’m lying, I could show you.”

“Show me what?” Sparrow asked in confusion.

“My wolf,” Caden replied.

5

Caden

Caden was holding his breath. As much as he knew he was expecting too much from Sparrow after just finding out about shifters, he wanted his mate to want to meet the other half of him. His wolf was as much a part of him as his hands and legs, and he needed his mate not just to be okay, but to fully accept his wolf.

“Okay, I would love to meet your wolf,” Sparrow said.

“Really?” Caden asked.

“He won’t like… eat me or anything?” Sparrow asked.

“I can promise you, my wolf will be as gentle with you as I am. I am still aware when I’m a wolf and I would never hurt you. It would kill me to see you hurt in any way. He—I mean my wolf—would never hurt you,” Caden said.

“Why couldn’t you hurt me when you just met me?” Sparrow asked, his adorable face scrunched up in confusion.

Caden debated telling him the truth later, but he figured he might as well share everything in one go and deal with the fallout all at once.

“You’re my mate,” Caden blurted.

“Mate? But we just met. Don’t we have to get to know each other first before we can say we’re mates?” Sparrow asked, his face scrunching further.

Caden thought about how to explain this. “Humans have to get to know each other and figure out how they feel and all that. With fated mates, it’s different. We believe it’s like the other half of your soul. It’s like everything you never knew you needed, plus everything you ever asked for, coming together in one person just for you,” Caden said, hoping Sparrow wouldn’t think he was making it up to take advantage of him, or whatever other things could occur to him.

“And you think I’m that person for you?” Sparrow asked in a doubt-filled tone. Caden was paying attention, looking for any sign Sparrow was receptive to what he’d said, and he didn’t miss the flash of hope that came into his omega’s eyes.

“I don’t think, I know,” Caden replied, making sure to meet Sparrow’s eyes, hoping he’d see the truth there. “Wolves and a lot of other shifters can tell their mates by scent. It’s like smelling all your favorite things in the world. It’s like catnip to a cat,” he added, still looking, holding Sparrow’s gaze.

“And is that what I smell like to you?” Sparrow asked bluntly, but his eyes betrayed him—they were so full of hope.

Caden placed his nose at the crook of Sparrow’s neck and breathed in deeply. “You smell like caramel and cinnamon, and every time I breathe you in, it feels like every Christmas morning rolled into one. It feels like everything good and perfect. My wolf howls every time he scents you. You make him happy.”

Caden felt the moment Sparrow gave in to him because the man leaned into Caden’s body, relaxed into him, and his wolf howled at the first sign of his mate accepting him.

“Do I make you happy too?” Sparrow whispered.

“Oh, sweetheart,” Caden said, tightening his hands around Sparrow. “You make me happier than I ever thought I could be.”

“Even though I’m carrying another man’s baby?” Sparrow asked in a small voice, like he was scared of the answer.

“You’re carrying our baby. Our first child. No one else’s. I don’t care who came before me. All I know is you’re mine now. And I’m never letting you go,” Caden declared.

“But you don’t know me,” Sparrow said stubbornly, like his brain was trying to fight what was happening, or he was too scared to believe it was true.

“I know this seems fast to you and you don’t know me yet, but please believe me when I say I know everything I need to know. And I’ll learn the rest. I know the gods would not send me a mate if we weren’t perfect for each other. I know you haven’t had an easy life until now, baby, but I will do my best to erase those memories. To make you happy. All I want to do is treat you like the treasure you are. Because you’re my treasure, the most precious gift from the gods to me. I will do my best to make sure I never, ever give you a reason to regret meeting me if you will do me the honor of being my mate.”

“All I’ve ever wanted, all I’ve ever prayed for, from the moment I was old enough to know it was possible, was somebody who loved me completely, who would never throw me away when they got tired of me, or when I was no longer useful to them. I don’t care if you can turn into Wile E. Coyote. Yes, I want that. I want to be your mate,” Sparrow said, his eyes lit up with joy.

“Really?” Caden asked, his body buzzing.

“Really,” Sparrow said, his beautiful face beaming with happiness.

“I swear you’ll never regret it,” Caden declared, and he swore to himself he would do everything he could to never break that promise until he took his last breath.

Then, the most amazing thing to ever happen in the history of his life happened. Caden leaned over and brushed his lips softly against Sparrow’s before pressing down more firmly and kissing his mate for the first time.

The electric buzz that came over Caden when he touched his lips to Sparrow’s was unlike anything he had ever felt before. His body came to life as his mate kissed him right back. Sparrow opened his lips and pushed his tongue right into Caden’s mouth.

Caden licked Sparrow’s tongue and then swirled his tongue into Sparrow’s mouth. Caden felt his cock hardening in his pants as he began to get aroused by the kiss. Sparrow mewled in his throat, and Caden could almost taste his answering arousal, the scent of Sparrow’s excitement was so strong.

Caden wrapped his arms around Sparrow. When his omega wriggled around on his lap getting more comfortable, Caden gasped in pleasure. Sparrow had moved, perhaps unintentionally, placing Caden’s cock directly between his perfect ass cheeks.

Sparrow broke their kiss and looked at Caden. “I just think you could do better,” he said sadly.

“I can't do better than a fated mate, sweetheart. Nobody can. The gods made you just for me, and me for you. Your past is what made you who you are. And to me, who you are is beautiful. I'll never find another person who will complete me the way you do. It’s not possible. That's what fated mates means,” Caden said, hugging Sparrow close to his heart.

“I don’t know who’s finally looking out for me, but I never could have expected to find a mate, let alone a fated mate, and then here you are, and you seem amazing… I just feel like you’re too good to be true.”

“Oh, baby, I’m not perfect. But I hope I can live up to what you expect of me. I’m still only human, so if I fail, please don’t hold it against me,” Caden said.

“You’re already more than I expected,” Sparrow said, resting his head on Caden’s chest.

6

Sparrow

Sparrow couldn’t believe this was happening. He couldn’t help but think about what the lady on the bus had said, she’d told him, You definitely will be, son, good things are about to happen for you, my dear. I know you’ve been through so much in your young life. But it’s just beginning. Be open to the unbelievable, son. Don’t be scared. Your life is just about to begin. She had finished by patting him on his hand.

He wasn’t sure if she knew what was about to happen, or if she was just saying it to make the lonely pregnant omega feel better, but he didn’t care. If this was what she meant, then he would take it. Maybe he was just reaching because he wanted it to be true. He hadn’t seen Caden’s wolf yet, but he believed him. He believed him when he told him that he was his fated mate.

Hunter, Caden’s brother, had come to speak to him when he’d gone back to the kitchen to make sure he wasn’t overwhelmed. Hunter had assured Sparrow he was safe, and he shouldn’t feel like Caden was pressuring him. If he hadn’t been sure he was making the right choice, Hunter telling him he was welcome here, regardless of whether he mated with Caden or not, helped. Well, it assured him that these were good people, and he couldn’t wait to know and love Caden. The word mate kept echoing in his head and his inner self was doing the shimmy at the idea of finding someone to belong to—not belong to like he had with Frank—but belong together.

Once he had finished seasoning the roast beef and popped it in the oven, and had peeled, washed, and put the potatoes for whipped potatoes on the stove to boil, he texted Bradley.

S: Anything you want to tell me? Like you’re a wolf! BTW, your cousin is my mate.

He was about to start on the biscuits, but he didn’t get a chance to because it was less than a minute before his phone started ringing. He rinsed his hands quickly and picked up the call.

“Oh my days! So yeah, we’ll come back to the wolf thing. You found your mate. Lucky cow—or is that wolf? I’m so jealous. Do you know how amazing and awesome and rare that is?” his friend gushed on the phone, not bothering to say the customary “hello” first.

“I think I’m beginning to get an idea,” Sparrow said, smiling.

“Oh my God, who is it? Is it Hunter or Caden? Doesn’t matter, both of them are great. They’re the best alphas ever, even though they’re super-protective,” Bradley said. “Oh my God, trust me, you’re in the best hands, babe. They’re nothing like Frank… Squeeee! I’m so happy for you. And totally not jealous,” Bradley finished on a laugh.

“Lol! Well, it’s Caden, and Oh My God, can we say holy Thor hotness? That man is a blond Adonis. I wanna climb him like he’s a tree,” Sparrow giggled.

“Ohhhh! I’m sure you will,” Bradley teased.

Sparrow blushed at the image his brain supplied of him doing just that, and he had to think of gross things to stop the erection he could feel coming on.

“I’m so happy for you, babe. You deserve it, and trust me, finding your mate is one of the greatest honors a shifter has, and I know Caden will cherish you the way you deserve,” Bradley said in a serious tone.

Sparrow sniffed. “Thank you, B, you don’t know what that means. First you get me a job—and who knew that would lead me to my forever future? I thought he would be mad because of the baby, but he was so sweet, B. He said the baby was his now.”

“Totally sounds like Caden. And trust me, Spar, he means it. He’ll treat you right. Oh my God, we are officially family. We were a family before, but now it’s, like, official and everything,” Bradley said happily.

“You’ve always been my family, B,” Sparrow said, emotion choking his voice. “Love you, B.”

“I know, Spar. I love you too, man. And don’t worry, I’ll be done with classes soon and I’ll be back home, okay. Make sure that cousin of mine throws you a mating celebration.”

“Lol, I will. Anyway, gotta go, need to finish dinner before they kick me out on my first day,” Sparrow joked. For the first time in his life he could joke about something like that happening because he knew it wasn’t going to happen.

Sparrow went back to his cooking. He checked on the meat and reduced the heat on the potatoes. While he was making the dough for the biscuits, he felt an arm wrap around his waist and immediately sighed, feeling Caden behind him. “Thor, huh?”

Sparrow giggled. “Eavesdropping?”

“You say such nice things. I may take it up permanently if it means I get to hear you talk about climbing me like a tree. I think I can make that happen,” Caden said, nipping his earlobe and making a shiver crawl up Sparrow’s spine.

“Go away. I need to finish cooking so no one thinks I’m a freeloader,” Sparrow said, even though he rubbed his ass on Caden’s erection.

Caden kissed his neck before stepping back. “Later. We are going to finish this later.”

Sparrow nodded and only took a deep breath after he felt Caden leave the kitchen. He realized that as time went on he would be able to feel when Caden was nearby, and he couldn’t wait.

7

Caden

That was some good eating. From the moment they came close to the house, Caden’s mouth began to water from the smell of the food waiting for them. The men had almost cheered when they laid eyes on the steaming piles of food sitting on the dining room table. Caden was so proud of the guys for how they’d praised Sparrow, and he didn’t miss how his mate had blushed through it all, or the way he’d sat up straighter with each compliment.

That was what Caden wanted—to see Sparrow flourish here. Caden had helped Sparrow with the dishes after dinner since his mate had insisted on doing them, but he knew he would have to make sure Sparrow heard him when he said they were like a family. He didn’t want Sparrow to feel like he had to cook and then clean afterward.

Sure, that was the job he had been hired for, but now that he was Caden’s mate, he knew the guys would make him feel like part of the pack. And the pack helped each other. Most of the guys that lived in the house either worked around the compound or had jobs they could do from home. None of them minded pitching in, especially when they were now eating like kings.

After they finished washing up, Caden had noticed Sparrow cleaning the same spot on the counter that he’d already cleaned, and he could feel his mate’s nerves.

Caden loaded the last dish into the dishwasher and then walked over to Sparrow. He came up behind Sparrow again, then took the rag out of his hand and left it on the counter before turning his mate around to face him.

“What’s wrong? Are you okay?” Caden asked, looking into his mate’s eyes and wondering what caused the sudden distress he could see there.

Sparrow bit his lips and looked away from him, before whispering, “Am I going to the cabin Micah showed me?”

Caden’s heart twisted in his chest at the thought of spending even one night away from Sparrow. Now that he had found him, he didn’t want to sleep apart. But he knew he couldn’t make Sparrow feel like it was obligatory, so instead he asked, “Is that what you want? To sleep in the cabin?”

Caden held his breath and prepared himself for whatever answer, knowing he would respect it and wait until Sparrow was comfortable enough to move into his bedroom. Although Caden wasn’t sure if he would be able to have him stay in the cabin that was away from the main house.

But if that was what Sparrow chose rather than him—and his wolf was in agreement—then they would be sleeping under the stars, keeping watch over their mate.

Sparrow shook his head, but Caden needed some words to be sure of what was going on. “You don’t want to sleep in the cabin?” he asked again.

“No,” Sparrow replied, and Caden felt him take a deep breath, as though he was deciding within himself. “I want to sleep in your room, wherever that is.”

Caden had to stop himself from screaming out his joy. “I hope you know that doesn’t mean we have to do anything?”

Sparrow looked up this time and met his gaze. “What if I want us to do something?”

Caden sucked in a gasp of air, before saying, “Are you saying you want us to… ‘you know?’”

Sparrow chuckled. “Uhhh, if you can’t use the word, alpha, I don’t think we can do it.”

“Sex!” Caden blurted. “I mean, does that mean we can have sex?”

Sparrow looked at him, his beautiful eyes dancing with mirth. “So eloquent,” he said before he burst out laughing.

“I’ll show you eloquent,” Caden said, picking Sparrow up and making him squeak. Then he carried his mate to his room.

“I like this whole caveman thing. It’s totally sexy,” Sparrow said, still laughing.

“Duly noted, mate,” Caden said. His whole body was raring to go, and saying the word “mate,” coupled with Sparrow's body against his and his intoxicating scent, had Caden ready for his first time with his mate.

Caden held Sparrow as he made his way to his room on the second floor that had his and Hunter’s personal suites. He walked over to the bed and placed his mate gently down like he was made of spun glass. Caden took his time enjoying the sight of his mate in his bed.

While Caden was looking his fill, he could also sense Sparrow’s eyes on him, and he loved the fact that his mate was also taking him in. He’d heard part of Sparrow’s story from his brother, Hunter, and he was so proud of how strong his mate was, but he was even happier knowing that moving forward, it was his job to make his mate’s life easier.

“I wanna meet your wolf,” Caden heard Sparrow say.

Caden looked into his mate’s eyes, making sure there was no fear there. “Are you sure?” he asked.

“Yes. Bradley and I were texting again, and he told me your wolf is a part of you and that you were fully aware when you shifted. I wanna meet him too,” Sparrow said, holding eye contact.

“He wants to meet you too,” Caden stepped back. He quickly took his jeans and his shirt off, and he couldn’t miss the way Sparrow licked his lips. Caden took his time taking his briefs off, teasing, and he saw his mate bite his lip, as if trying to hold in a moan.

Caden was loving the scent of Sparrow’s arousal permeating his room. Who didn’t want their mate to love their body?

When Caden finally had his briefs off, Sparrow couldn’t hold back his moan and Caden had to admit both he and his wolf preened at their mate finding their body so appealing. More than appealing, if the scent of slick and the way Sparrow pressed on his dick trying to tamp down his arousal was anything to go by.

Caden laughed when he saw Sparrow’s gaze was completely focused on Caden’s cock. His very hard, very aroused cock that was now leaking precum.

Caden stretched and let his shift take over, allowing his wolf to come forth. Everything turned black and white, and he saw his mate get off the bed.

Sparrow tentatively walked towards him. Caden knew what Sparrow was seeing, a bigger-than-average, blond wolf. Caden was large, even for a shifter, though not as big as Hunter, but he was no slouch either.

“So pretty,” Sparrow said as he reached out his hand to pat Caden on his head. “My pretty wolf,” Sparrow crooned, and Caden made a sound that as a wolf came out as a moan.

He shifted back quickly and grabbed his mate, pressing his arousal against Sparrow’s body. Caden used a finger to lift Sparrow’s face to meet his. “You think my wolf is pretty?”

“I think he’s beautiful,” Sparrow replied, smiling shyly.

“Well, he likes you too,” Caden replied.

Sparrow leaned over and almost cautiously pressed his soft lips to Caden’s. Caden groaned and wrapped his hand around Sparrow’s waist, drawing him even closer, while he deepened the kiss.

Sparrow parted his lips and tentatively thrust his tongue towards Caden’s. Caden was enjoying having his mate make the moves. He wanted their partnership, their mating, to be equal, and if that meant his mate led sometimes, then that was fine with him.

Sparrow got braver and licked along the inside of Caden’s mouth while holding on to Caden’s waist like it was the only thing keeping him up.

Caden could feel Sparrow’s stiff cock pushing into his leg as his mate lost himself in the kiss. Caden moaned and moved them to the bed, stretching his body over Sparrow’s but making sure to be careful in placing his weight.

Sparrow was lost in the kiss and kept trying to grind their erections together, but his jeans were in the way. The friction of Sparrow’s jeans on Caden’s sensitive cock was driving him crazy too.

Caden broke their kiss and lifted himself up to help Sparrow out of his clothes. He unbuttoned Sparrow’s jeans and pulled them down as Sparrow lifted his hips to help get them off. Caden looked at his smaller mate and couldn’t help but appreciate his smoothness. Even though Sparrow was small, he was compact with nice muscle tone, and Caden couldn’t wait to taste every inch.

Caden quickly got rid of the tiny briefs his mate was wearing and his t-shirt too, before settling himself back against Sparrow, skin to skin.

Sparrow ran his small hands down Caden’s body, then moved to his chest and brushed his hand across Caden’s nipples, making him gasp and moan in pleasure. It was like there was a straight line connecting his nipples to his cock.

“Oh, you like that?” Sparrow asked as he broke their kiss and nuzzled Caden’s neck, as though he knew that was where his claiming bite would go.

“You have no idea, sweetheart,” Caden replied, his voice husky with arousal.

“Are you going to claim me tonight?” Sparrow asked.

Caden leaned back to make sure he could look into his mate’s eyes. “Do you want me to claim you tonight?” Caden asked, trying to control his wolf because the moment Sparrow asked, his wolf had gone crazy.

“Yes,” Sparrow said, not breaking eye contact. “I want you to claim me. I want to be yours.”

That was all it took. Caden gently used his finger to trace along the curve of Sparrow’s jaw and smiled down at him. Sparrow might not understand the significance, but he’d just made Caden the happiest man on Earth. He couldn’t thank the gods enough for the perfection that was his mate.

Caden’s eyes roamed hungrily over Sparrow’s body, taking in every inch of the perfection that was his mate, every dip, every freckle, every inch of his lithe, muscular body.

He leaned over and kissed his mate on the lips before moving down his body. He kissed his way down Sparrow’s neck, focusing on the spot where his mating mark would go. He inhaled the arousing scent of caramel and cinnamon before moving down to explore Sparrow’s body with his mouth.

He sucked the small pink nipple on his mate’s chest before biting down, and then kissing the pain away as Sparrow moaned. Caden kissed his way across Sparrow’s chest to the other nipple, giving it the same attention, before continuing his path down his mate's body, nipping and tasting as he went. Caden kissed his mate's swollen abdomen and said hello to their child. When he met Sparrow’s gaze again, he could see the emotion put there by that moment.

Caden smiled at his mate before going back to kissing his way down his body, following the sparse treasure trail that lead down to Sparrow’s very erect cock. Caden decided to torture his mate a little, so he kissed the crease between his hip and thigh, nipping lightly before blowing on it to soothe it, making his mate gasp and squirm.

“Caden, please,” Sparrow whimpered. “I need more.”

Caden could smell how much his mate needed. The scent of his arousal was thick in the room. He looked at the slick leaking out of Sparrow’s hole, and his mouth watered at the thought of getting a taste.

Caden blew against Sparrow’s hole, making his mate gasp and cry out. He finally decided to put Sparrow out of his misery and licked his hole, lapping up his mate’s slick that tasted so fucking good.

Sparrow couldn’t help himself, he reached out and wrapped his hand around his hard, leaking cock. Caden licked and sucked on his mate’s hole, loosening it further. He kissed his way down and sucked first one ball into his mouth and then the other, making Sparrow gasp.

“Fuck, Caden,” Sparrow moaned loudly.

Caden released Sparrow’s balls with a pop before making his way back up to his cock. He removed Sparrow’s hands and ran his tongue from root to tip before sucking Sparrow’s cock all the way to the back of his throat. He bobbed his head up and down and hollowed out his cheeks, never taking his eyes off his mate’s lust-drunk expression.

Caden swirled his tongue around the head of Sparrow’s cock before licking up the precum gathered at the slit, making sure to savor the taste on his tongue.

He loved hearing the whimpering sounds his mate was making as he tasted him. Caden knew he would want the taste of Sparrow daily, for the rest of his life. He licked his way back down to Sparrow’s hole that was still leaking. Caden tasted the slick there and moaned as the flavor hit his taste buds again. He licked and sucked at Sparrow’s rim, relaxing the muscle with his tongue, making his mate lift off the bed when Caden finally breached Sparrow’s hole with his tongue.

Caden used his free hand to grab Sparrow’s cock and tugged on it a few times. He didn’t have to wait long before Sparrow screamed his name, “Cadddennnnnn!” His eyes were squeezed tightly shut and his face was contorted in pleasure as he came. Not wanting to waste a drop of his mate's cum, Caden moved up Sparrow’s body and licked away every drop.

While Sparrow was still blissed out from his orgasm, Caden lined his cock up with Sparrow’s hole and leaned over to place a soft kiss on his lips. “I’m going to make you mine now. Are you ready?” Caden asked.

Sparrow opened his eyes and met Caden’s gaze before nodding. “Yes, alpha. I want to be yours,” he panted, still recovering from his last orgasm.

With those words from Sparrow, Caden pushed into his channel in one slick thrust, gliding in smoothly until he was fully seated, his balls against his mate’s ass. He held himself still for a moment, giving Sparrow a moment to adjust.

Sparrow wrapped his legs around Caden’s waist, pulling him in farther, if that was even possible. Caden slowly began to piston in and out, increasing the speed of his thrusts until he was driving hard into his mate.

“I’m not going to last,” Caden moaned. He could already feel his knot forming. “Fuck, fuck,” he growled as his knot expanded for the first time in his life for his fated mate. It filled Sparrow’s hole until the knot was too big for Caden to pull out.

Caden made sure to rub against Sparrow’s prostate, until his mate was a whimpering mess, begging to come. Caden used his free hand to wrap around Sparrow’s cock and only had to tug once before his mate came again, his ass tightening around Caden’s cock, strangling it until he began to come deep inside his mate.

“You have to bite me,” Caden growled, barely recognizing his voice. He lined his teeth up over Sparrow’s scent gland and bit down, his mate following his lead. Caden knew there was wolf in Sparrow because his teeth broke flesh, sealing their bond.

In that moment, Caden felt like a part of his soul left his body to be replaced by a part of Sparrow’s and vice versa. He could feel how his mate felt; his growing love for Caden—his feeling of hope that he’d finally found his forever home.

Caden removed his teeth from Sparrow’s neck and licked over the bite, and Sparrow followed his lead again.

Turning his face, Caden sought out Sparrow’s lips for a kiss. When Caden broke the kiss, he rolled them over, not wanting to put his heavier weight on his mate. They were locked together until his knot went down, however long that took.

Sparrow made himself comfortable, resting his head on Caden’s chest. Sparrow was silent for a moment before meeting his gaze. “How did I bite you?” he asked in a surprised tone. “I shouldn’t be able to do that.”

Caden kissed his mate’s nose. “Well, that’s a long story… But it seems, mate, that you have a little wolf in you too.”

Sparrow sat up, pulling on Caden’s knot, making him gasp. “Careful there, we don’t want to hurt anything we will need later.” Sparrow giggled and apologized.

“You were saying I have a little wolf in me?” Sparrow asked.

“Yes. If I had to guess, I’d say one of your parents was part wolf,” Caden replied.

“I never knew my parents,” Sparrow whispered sadly.

“I know, baby, that’s probably why you’ve never shifted,” Caden replied, running his hands up and down Sparrow’s back soothingly.

“Does that mean I can turn into a wolf?” Sparrow asked, a hint of excitement creeping into his voice.

“You should be able to,” Caden replied. “But we will have to wait until our little one is here. Don’t want you trying your first shift while pregnant.”

Sparrow nodded, burrowing deeper into Caden’s chest like he was trying to get under the man’s skin.

Caden debated whether or not he should say this, but he didn’t want to keep anything from his mate, so he went for it, “My brother thought about tracking down what pack you came from.” Sparrow lifted his head again to meet Caden’s gaze, so Caden hurried up to add, “You don’t have to meet them, but he wants to know why a wolf pup ended up in the foster care system, baby.”

“Is that rare?” Sparrow asked, scrunching up his nose in a way that shouldn’t be cute, but Caden thought it was.

“Very. Even if a pup is not wanted by the birth parent, the pack would take it in and place it with someone who wanted him or her.”

“Oh,” Sparrow said, and Caden read his tone.

“Are you mad at me? If you are, I can get Hunter to stop the search this minute,” Caden said.

Sparrow was silent for a moment. “No, I always wanted to know where I came from. I guess I’ll find out. And I trust you. I trust that you will never do anything to hurt me,” Sparrow said, looking straight into Caden’s eyes.

“I swear on my life, I would rather die than see you hurt. I know it seems like it may be too soon, but I love you, Sparrow. You and our pup, and however many pups we are blessed with in the future, are my life. And I’ll protect you and them until my last breath. You are the god’s gift to me even though I don’t deserve you. I promise I will do everything in my power to make you happy and keep you safe,” Caden breathed. “I will never, ever intentionally break your trust, Sparrow. You’re everything to me.”

Sparrow blinked like he was trying to hold back tears, but it looked like it was a losing battle. “No one has ever made me feel the way you do; safe, loved, cherished. I know it shouldn’t be possible, but I love you, too, Caden, and I’ll never let you go,” Sparrow said in a defiant tone.

“Promise?” Caden said.

“Promise,” Sparrow repeated.

Caden couldn’t wait for the rest of their lives, but right here and now, nothing could compare to his mate in his arms.

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